First Majorca and now Italy as locals on the warpath against too many tourists
Italians have been grappling with a concerning growth in tourism rates across most of its most famous cities.
Almost half of Italians want their Government to implant stricter rules to curb the impact of overtourism, a new survey has found.
Much like Majorca, Italy has been struggling with a growing number of visitors which has resulted in an increase in costs and a housing shortage for locals.
Popular destination hubs like Rome, Florence and Venice have seen visitors balloon out of control, forcing residents to cope with severe disruption to their daily lives.
A new poll by the Jfc Opinion Research Institute found that more than 49 percent of respondents believe a new strategy is needed to limit the impact of overtourism.
Another 38 percent opposed the introduction of tourism mitigation measures, with one-fifth arguing it would be "unfair" to impose entry limits on popular cities because they are public spaces.
However, a similar number of people think regulations would be "ideal for a sustainable quality of life for residents."
Venice has been following in the footsteps of some Spanish cities by introducing a limit on tour group size to 25 people over the summer.
The new restriction, which applies to the main island as well as Murano, Burano and Tocello, was devised to unclog the popular alleyways of the island city.
Tour operators found to be in breach of the measure risk fines of up to £422 but the professionals have argued the limit is unlikely to have much of an impact in the long-term.
Tour guide Giulia told The Guardian: "It’s not easy to find guides to take care of more than one group – we have a busload of 50 tourists but only one guide.
"It’s early days but, much like the entrance fee, I doubt it will change a thing."
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Rome has also been introducing new rules in an attempt to tackle the issue of overtourism and encourage better behaviour among tourists.
Anyone found to be lingering too long while taking a selfie in Portofino risks a considerable fine.
The Northern Italian region of Trentino Alto Adige capped overnight tourism to 2019 levels to avoid a surge of visitors.
The Italian and local governments have also launched a crackdown on short-term rentals.
In Florence, short-term rental licences have been banned across the whole city centre to help free up housing for locals and the large student population.
Mayor Dario Nardella said in 2023: "We are putting a simple ban in the UNESCO area to meet our responsibilities of protecting the cultural and material identity of the centro storico, and to dampen the effect of rent increases across the entire city – which are directly linked to the boom of short-term tourist rentals."
